Legacy's Fufillment
by Prophet19
Summary: Shortly after the Titans visit the fortuneteller, Starfire recieves a message: Come Home. Follows the events that take place over time after she leaves.
1. Chapter 1

**One** Tamaranian Pride

Cyborg lay buried under a pile of rubble. Starfire, the closest, could hear him shouting about something, his words muffled.

Starfire glanced at her three friends, who were easily holding back the Hive Five, and then back at her metallic companion. Starfire began throwing rubble off of the mountain that lay atop her friend.

"Friend Cyborg, are you…damaged?" She called. Cyborg chose that moment to erupt out of the pile, glaring past Starfire.

"I'm fine, Star." Cyborg did a quick system scan, and then ran off to, as he put it "lay the smack down." Starfire smiled, and joined her friends in the quick defeat of the Hive.

* * *

The police thanked Robin on behalf of his team, like always. Robin merely nodded, wishing that he and his friends had left before the police arrived. 

"Just doing our job, sir." Robin said. "Do you want one of us to help escort the prisoners?"

"No." The officer said. "As many times as these five have vanished, the prison officials got wise. They each now have a special holding cell." The officer helped load Mammoth onto the truck, and it seemed the conversation was over.

Robin turned to his team. "Go home, guys. I'm gonna patrol a little longer."

"Awesome." Beast Boy replied. He stole a glance at Cyborg. "I'm driving the car!" Cyborg took off after him, promising a grim series of events if Beast Boy even touched the driver's side door.

"I will fly home." Starfire said. She hovered off, but stopped to glance at Robin as he walked off. "Friend Raven, are you not coming?"

"I'll be back later. I've some things to take care of." Raven replied. She walked away, and Starfire flew back to the tower. When the alien looked back later, she decided that she should have joined Robin on patrol.

* * *

A message was waiting, stored in the memory banks of the Tower computer system. Cyborg was the first to notice it, but when he tried to access it, what looked like junk crossed the screen: Koriand'r. 

Cyborg was about to set his decryption programs on the file, when Starfire walked into the room.

"H'll r'gg rah c'rh." Starfire said, and the message suddenly decrypted. A big, burly Tamaranian face popped onscreen.

"Koriand'r." The recording began. "You must return home. Your people need you. Understand, we know you are happy in your self-imposed exile, but return home, or your people will suffer more hardship than ever before in our history. Hurry." Then the recording ended, and the file vanished.

Cyborg turned in his seat to look at Starfire, whose open face revealed the depth of her shock.

* * *

Robin collapsed his staff, and slid it back in its slot. When he was sure he could hear the sirens coming closer, he left the two thieves bound next to the pile of stuff they had absconded with. 

Robin yawned, and decided it was time to head back. His communicator beeped, and Robin answered.

Starfire's face peered at him. "Robin, when you return from the patrolling, please meet me on the top of the tower. I have something of the most importance to ask you."

"Sure, Star." Robin answered. "I'm…" He cut off his reply when Starfire cancelled the connection. _Okay. That was...unusual._

* * *

Robin made his way directly to the rooftop. He was worried for Starfire, and much of that stemmed from the feelings he had slowly been developing over the past few years. 

Robin opened the access door, and stepped out on the roof. He saw Starfire standing at the edge of the roof, and quietly crossed over to her.

Even through the tons of concrete that separated him from the others, Robin could hear Beast Boy and Cyborg yelling about video games and tofu. It brought a smile to his face.

Robin reached out, and pulled Star close to him, suddenly feeling possessive. "What did you need to tell me, Star?" He breathed into her ear.

Star pulled back from him, and from the haunted, pained look in her eyes, Robin knew it wouldn't be good news. "Robin." She began, then continued after a brief hesitation. "I must return to Tamaran. I am needed by my people."

Robin was suddenly angry, shocked, dismayed, and scared. He pushed Starfire away, and held her there at the end of his reach. "No!" The Boy Wonder all but shouted. "You can't leave. We need you here." He looked into her eyes. "_I_ need you here."

Starfire looked away, her open features so pain-filled it broke Robin's heart. "My duty to my people comes before my duty to this world." Then she made it worse. "But I…need you as well."

"Then don't go." Robin said softly.

"Robin…" Starfire said, looking back at Robin. "I would ask that you come with me." She grabbed Robin's gloved hand, and pressed it to her cheek. "Come with me to Tamaran."

Robin's eyes turned cold. He pulled his hand out of Starfire's grip, and felt a savage pleasure at the new hurt in Starfire's eyes. "I can't. The Titans need me, just like they need you." Both of them knew he really meant that The Titans were more important. "_My_ responsibility is to stay."

Robin turned away from the girl he had fallen in love with, and walked out of her life. Behind him, looking again at the stars, Starfire began to cry, wishing that it were possible for her to stay.

* * *

Raven's meditation was cut short. She felt a familiar presence pass in front of her room, filled with love, pain, sadness, anger, and self-loathing. Raven then felt another, filled with hurt and sorrow. She opened her eyes, and settled to the floor. "What have you done, Boy Blunder?" She murmured quietly. Raven closed her eyes, and envisioned herself standing in Starfire's room. 

Starfire was sitting on the edge of her bed, sobbing, when Raven sat down next to her.

Raven was uncomfortable around such emotional displays, but she knew that Star needed someone for the time being.

"Are you leaving us?" She asked softly. Starfire nodded, unable to speak. Raven was unsure of how to comfort someone, but she tried.

And Starfire was thankful for that, at the least.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two** Working Past The Pain

The news was hard on everyone, even those who weren't technically official Titans.

In the end, over fifty young heroes turned up to say farewell to the Tamaranian princess who'd graced their lives.

The only one who'd refused to go had been Robin. As far as he was concerned, he'd said all he needed. In that way, he was exactly like Bruce.

The ship Superman and J'onn had supplied was crammed full of the gifts Starfire was given, and in her way, she made sure to speak with everyone.

Finally, the time came for her to leave, and Starfire never looked back.

* * *

For weeks, Robin had reverted to the distant, stoic warrior the others met. He patrolled, he ate, he worked on his cases, he sparred with Raven, and he vanished to his room in a vicious cycle of misery.

Whenever anyone tried to talk to him, he'd tell him or her he was fine, nothing was wrong.

The final straw for Raven came when Robin let a thief escape. She knew that she'd have to confront him, and force him to face his demons.

* * *

Robin jabbed, testing his opponent's defenses. She'd gotten better over the years, and he hated to lose.

His opponent easily blocked, and then countered with a palm strike that Robin ducked under easily. Robin grabbed his opponent's arm, and the belt of her _gi_, and spun, flipping her over his shoulders.

Raven grunted when she hit the floor, but had landed well, and wasted no time regaining her feet. She lashed out with a wide, whipping roundhouse, and the blow caught Robin off-guard. He landed on his posterior.

Raven stepped back. "Are you okay? It's not often I land a blow like that."

Robin snorted, and looked at her. "I'm fine." He jumped back to his feet, and attacked.

Raven pushed his front kick aside, but was barely able to dodge his hammer blow. She stepped back, and then rushed in to attack. She kicked, elbowed, and threw a flurry of strikes, speaking, almost lecturing, as she did so.

"You are not fine. You are off-balanced, unguarded, and sloppy, Richard." She stood over the team leader, who glared at her from his new prone position. "You need to talk about whatever's bothering you. Until then, you won't be effective as a leader."

Robin sat up, and as Raven joined him on the mat, he shook his head. "Starfire." Robin clenched his fists, then relaxed. "She got a message from a planet she's not even seen for five years, and immediately runs off."

"And?" Raven gently pushed. Even without empathy, she would have been able to tell that there was more.

Robin looked down, and gave an uncharacteristic sigh. "The night she found out, Star asked me to go with her." He looked at Raven. "I told her my duties here were too important."

"You're angry with yourself for choosing your work over Stafire." Raven's statement wasn't a question, but Robin answered like it was.

He nodded. "It's the kind of thing Bru…Batman would do." Robin hesitated, but finished what he was saying. "I left Gotham so I wouldn't turn out as obsessed as him."

Raven knew, even before she spoke, that Robin wouldn't take her next words well. "Did you ever stop to think, _Richard_, that Starfire knew you wouldn't come?" She suggested. "That she asked so you wouldn't follow her?"

Robin didn't even look up. "You aren't suggesting that she never wanted me to go with her." He argued flatly. "That makes no sense."

"Think what you want, Grayson." Raven said as she got to her feet. "But do think about it. Get it right in your mind." She walked off.

_What was that all about?_ Robin thought as he watched his teammate walk out. _Could she…nah._

* * *

Raven was just setting her tea on to boil when Robin walked into the lounge. "Listen up, Titans!" He said loudly, causing Beast Boy to crash his car into Cyborg, ending their game.

"What's up, fearless leader?" Beast Boy asked.

"Yeah, man? Can't it wait?" Cyborg said. "I was just mashing BB's butt all over the road."

"No, it can't." Robin said. "It's been brought to my attention that I've not been concentrating on our…work." Robin nodded at Raven. "That isn't fair to any of you. Nor is it safe."

Cyborg stood up. "You better not be saying what I think you are."

"Until I can get my head clear, I'm taking a leave of absence. Speedy and Superboy have agreed to come to Jump City to work with you, under Cyborg's leadership."

"Why me?" Cyborg asked. "Why not Raven?"

"I wouldn't want that responsibility, thank you." Raven cut in. "Good luck, Robin." _And stay safe._ She thought at him.

Robin, already walking from the room, grinned.

* * *

**One Year Later**

Dick strapped the box to the back of his motorcycle. He leaned back, and evaluated his work. "It'll hold."

He straddled the bike, and kicked in on. "Jump City, I'm coming home."

He left Robin behind him, back at the Batcave. He was riding, as Alfred had said: "To a bright new future."


End file.
